Evaporating apparatus



,536,894 s. M. mLLE EVAPORATNG APPARATUS May 5,V v1925.

Filed July 24, 1922 Fig. 4f

Wfl-Ness:

phiaA an Evaporatin'g Ap aratus, of which thefol-'s the evaporator belowthe heating surfaces, wliich 'srfaces' are kept wet with the`liq=.f1-,saai

moeurs LILLIE, on rHnADELr-Hra, Janinasummit'La'u concern: I LIL- L1`E,2a';citizen-of the United ringield Avenue, in the city of ia, in' thecounty vof Philadel State of Pennsylvania,- have invented new and usefulmp'iovements in Parada lowing is as'peci cation.

My invention` relatesjto. andembodies iinprovelnents upon- Inymechanical film evaporator which is .extensively known as the Lilliefmechanical film .evaporator or vsimply Lillie evaporator. Followingthe,` lmode'of operation ofthi's apparatus, the' liquid 'underevaporation lies in the shell of uidinlmsby' means of a circulating pumpand connections between it and the evaporator shell' which. draw fromthe. liquid' in the bottom ofthe evaporator shell and showerit over theheati-n' surfaces down which it flows iii-films bac into the. spacebelowafter completing.' a cycle of the constantl circulation. which ismaintained over the `heating surfaces by the circulating in .thearrangement and construction ofthe- Referring to the drawingspuxnp andits connections. 4 v

'The apfparatus described in the following-"speci cation and illustratedin 'the acdrawings provides partlcular methodsoi5 taking the vapors oievaporation -froin the nest"`o`f-evaporating tubes which gives a morefree-and ea's; escape 35 rto e for thevapors than hashithe en the case,and spermit's of valuable advantages apparatus.

.Figure v1 is partlya plan. and partly a horizontal section throughtheline X-. Figure 2 and line Y-Figure 3.

Figure@ is mostly amiddle vertical section of one arrangement of myimproved.-

evaporator, 'along the -line and line Z-fFigure 3.

W-Figure 1- Figure 3 is an 'end elevation'looking at' thedoor 16 butwith the lefthalfbroken' away to show a transverse vertical lhalf '5osection along the lines V4-Figure Qfand lines Vf Figure 1 and Figure 5.1

' Figure' 4 shows a detail 'of an evaporat- -ing tube, as employed inthe construction of Figures' 1. to 3, inclusive, i. e., whichconstructions are intended for land service. Figure 5 Yis in part a planand in part States, -residing EvAronA'riNG APPARATUS.

application 'nica-July 24,1922. '.seria'i No. 577,054.

intended for marine service.

. a horizontal section -through an evaporator of any suitablematerial.lmdrical in horizontal cross be elliptical, rectangular `orof It 1sshown cyother shape.

with connected vapor 'pipe, see Figure 3. The case is closed by a dishshaped bottom ,5, which has a liquid discharge open'- i ingrG-to whichconnectsthe suction line of the circulating pump 7, -This pump is'driven by motor'or other means not indicated,

In the interior ofthe evaporator shell extendingfrom one side of it,nearly to the opposite is a-nest, 8, of Ievaporating tubes, having inthe case illustrated rectangular'vertical and horizontal cross seclReferring to .the drawings, 1, ische in# closmg case or shell ofitheevaporator made section but may ItV is closed at the top by, the head2-.-

with a vapor escape opening 3*.65

tions, and so proportioned and located i'n the evaporatorv shell as toleave belowit .a considerable liquor andvapor spar 9, and on each side'of the nest vapor spaces, 10, vand 17 respectively,

which the side spaces 10 and 11, also the space 9 below the tubes, space4 above'the tubes, and'- the space 4 in front of the tubes connect. Inthis collecting chamber the vapors which -escape from the nest of tubes:collect preparatory to leaving the evaporator, all as hereinafterdescribed,

and above' 'the tubes a vapor collecting chamber, 12, with'.

The tubes forming the nest are parallel to each other and are arrangedlin vertif cal'and horizontal rows with tubes in the latter rowscovering .and breaking spaces Awith each other. rows transversehorizontal spaces, shown'in Figures 2 and'S, are'left'which form vaporpassages unobstructedby tubes between the ing vaporspaces. Thusdisposed, the tubes of each roi?, eXCeptingthc lower row., serve todeflect or-direct the falling li uid onto Between 'the horizontalinteriors of the-tube nests and. surround-` the tubes of .the row nextbelow ut leave free horizontal vapor' passages or `spaces between therows'-of tubes. The greater! .the vertical'width of those horizontalpasl' sages, the' less willA be. the pressurey ditierf cuco between theinn st parteci the tube nestsand the .vapor spaces surrounduigthe tubenests. At one end the nest of tubes extend into `a, neck, 13, formed, onand projecting horizontally from' the vshell, to the and closed oppositelto the tube plate by a form. a proper pocket;

end ot'which neck is attached the-steam chamber, 14,-with a transversevertical tube plate, 15, separating the interiors of the neck chamber.The steam. chamber is hinged door, 16, and it has a. somewhat'largercrossarea than the area' ofthe tube in the said pocketoic thesteam' eh a1n.cr.. Opposite thetube plate',

the vapor chamber is forme d with a door, 20, lwhich whenopened'uncovers a somewhat greater. area than 'that of the tube plate,sufficientto permit access to, and in some "cases the entrance of a manabove, the' tube nest.

The .evaporating-t'ubes open through the tub plate into the4 steamchamber and are expanded in the tube, plate without having beenannealed, the tubes. (se'evFigs. l and 2) are supported entirely by thetube plate.

The endsof the tubes away from the tube.

plate arenot supported or held inany way, and the end of each tube-isclosed -and is provided with aV small .air'vent"plug, see

Figure 5,in which. is shown the free end of a tube .such as have beenused 1n Lil- -lie evaporators Vand such as are used' in the nest oftubes illustrated in Figures 1-2 and 3 for land installations. Thetubesincline slightly downwards towards' the tube plate so that thesteam condensate will flow bach into the steam chamber. The spaces orpassages around the unsupported' 'ends of the tubes connect all theintertube spaces, vertical a's wel] as horizontal, with therapor spacela between thev ends' of the tubes and the door 2l).

Above the nest of tubes there is supported in 'any suitable way aperforated distributi'ng' plate 2l-this plate is horizontal and nearlyYcovers the entire crossarea of the tube nest. lt extends into the heele13, nearly to the tube plate. Aft lthe other end. the edge -ot theperforated plate touches the edge offthe cross rib 22 attached to thedoor', 20. Between the plate 2l and the upper rouv ot' thetube nest, .8,is a vapor space. 15.- either side' with. vapor spaces l()` and 1lrespectively and thence to the collecting chamber l2, which is alsothecase withthe vapor space, fl. below the nest of tubes and the space 4which faces the 'free ends 'oflthe. tubes. .Towards the "sides, theperforated plate extends practically totarsys` teni o battles 23 .and 2thereinafter de-v vEach' baille" consists nest. The AIv bars n la. shortdistance. apart, .with thebars in vone row will be ba 'serves a similar'pur-pose.

-from the which connects on circulating pump 7- delivers through theinsideconnecting pipe, 25, upon the perforated plate 2l at a pointlocated about symmetrical with 'respect to the twoside edges` andthe'two end edges of the plate. 70 0n Veach side of the nest'of tubesisan arrangement 'of' hailles, at -23 on' one side A. .and at 2d on theotherside of the nest.-A

of -two parallel rows.. of vertical metal I bars, whichv .bars in eachrow. -stand en end with their webs in line andparallel to the length of.the tube each 'row `are spaced the two rowsV breaking interspaees' with80 each othen. The two'roxvs of. I bars are quite close tooether, sothat the .twojrows 'mesh with leac l other soto speak, and va.

p ors .passingv tlirou lithe interspaces of,

ed bythe-Webs of the 'B5 other row. The battles are supported-'oneachside ofthe nest upon a rib orplate, 26', which extendsoutwarc1 fromtheside' of the shell and parallel to `the tubes of Y thenest, 'The rib'on one side of the tube 90V nest is shown at. 26;y ,On' the ,other sidelof` the tube nest isasimilar rib which Each rib supports thebaleelemgnts which stand upon it' between' two'ribs.A The upperv ends'of95 each baille system rest between the ribs of a horizontal I bar, 27,-vwhich 'extends' from front to-bach of the evaporator ease 4an'd is'atan elevation 'about the same as the perforated extends' to-'tl1eailles just below the lower edge of the I bar; 27.

It is apparent that the nest oi eva o` rator tubes and the'vapor spaces4 andJ 9 are all entirely surrounded and' separated 105 vapor spaces 10,V,11 .and '12', Within the shell, by the baffles 23 and 2li-perforatedplate 2l, rib 22, on' door 20 and the ribs or plates .2G-.Which supportthe balie;'so that the only connections is by the tor-5110 tuouspassages through the baillesf (ln each side 'above the baille Sets 23and 24, and resting on the I beam 27-are other vertical baille setssimilar to 23 and 2d* one of which sets 24" is shown. Eachofp115 theseextends from 'a l1or1zontal,I`beam27 to thereof. 2 of theevaporator'shell where is delivered awayby the circulating pump. flo

the -door way -7 through the'discharge nozzle 30; The were allowed to'.merely pass into the side operation' of the apparatus illustrated inpassages and up through' the' same into'the Figures l'to 4, inclusive,maybe describedupper or collecting chamber 12, without any 'as follows:obstruction by intervening battles such as'24 A 'charge of liquid havingbeendelivered f and 24,vthere would be very little entrained 70 into thebottom of the'evaporator through .liquid in the vapor passing awaythrough f the float va1ve29, the circulating p mp 7 isthe vaporoutlet,"dur1ng normaloperation pllt 1n service which results in theliquid "of the evaporator. Many natural fresh being delivered in largequantities through waterscontain very little salts in solution,

1o the-'connecting pipes 25 and 25" on to 'say-1% of that in sea waterfIn the evapora. 7.5

40 the adjacent spaces andthence through the leaving the evapor-ators.

perforated distributing `piate 21 The 1m-- tion ofthcse-thc oaiiiescould be omitted and -ipact of the liquid upon the plate causes the alsothe-ledge 22 on the door 20, Fig; 2` liquid to spread. over the entiresurface of couldbe omitted in which latter case the y the plate and toshower through the perfora- 'vaprjs passing in-to the space 4a fromaround tions inthe plate upon'the nest of tubes bethe ends of the'tubeswould passupwards 8O i low, down and over which theliquid flows as intothe. collecting chamber 12.` indicated in Figures 2 and 3. A suddendropin pressure vinthe interior If'now-steam be delivered into the'steam 'ofan evaporator causes ebullitin through' chamber 14 through the nozzlemarked all the particles-ot liquid-ih the evaporator Steam inlet, thesteam 'passes into .the andis likely to'cause considerable entrain- 85evaporating tubesand willcause evaporation ment in the vapor leaving anest of tubes atfrom the liquid circulating over the tubes .the instantAof the drop, and in the case of with a condensation. of the steaminside the submerged tube eyaporators where the liquid tubes and withthe collectionfof the -air or is boiling in mass, the entrainment. atthe other gases, Whichinay'have'been contained time of a sudden drop .inpressureis very '9o 1n the entering steam,.at thefree tube ends heavy'.Incthe construction shown in' the from whichl gases escape into theinterior ofdrawings al1-the entire 'nest of tubes and all the evaporator'through an air vent -in each .the liquid lyingr in the bottom of theevapotube end," as indicated in Figure 4 Tube rator is 'separated fromthe vapor spaces and ends. The condensate/from the steam flows from thecollecting chamber 12'by the battles 95- b'ack romthe tube into thesteamchamber, 24,24, etc., and otherwise as described in 14, and away fromthe latter through the disthe specifications. so that no vapor con icharge pipe 19 as controlled bv a steam trap away. from the circulatingliquid o-r from 0f 50H16 Suitable; make aS II ilted D the the liquid inmass below the tubes, which flPeUZVIlgSl does not pass through thebaiiles before' it 100- The vaporsresulting-from the evaporation entersthe collecting,r chamber, 12, and passes Y escape from the tube nestfrom. all sides-of from'the vapor cutie so' that even in the the nestwiththe' exception of the side at the event of a sudden drop inpressure, there is tube plate. They escape from each Side into likelytobe little entrainment inthe vapors baiiles into the passages 10 and l1.Some of The construction of the cylindrical shell the vapors escape'intothe space 4.above the of the evaporator with a projecting neck, 13,tubes and under the perforated plate, 21, and with the steam chamber atthe end of the thence escape to the sidespaces. Some also game, permitsfa smaller diameter for f the .45 escape DJO- th Space 9 below the nestand cylindrical c'ase for a given area of heating 110 above th liquid inthebottom of the evlpO- surface in the tube nest, which results in anrator and thenceinto the side spaces and economy of space occupied bythe evapotheyeSCape fI'Om theube nest thlOUghhe rator when constructedwith a cylindrical longitudinal inter tube spaces into the space, case.

4%, between the free ends of the tubes and the Iry'Figure v5 evaporatingtubes t afi-h 115 door 20 and thence as indicated bythe ar- 1er-1dawayrom the steam chamber are not rows pass around into the side spaces.""All Closed, brit they open into' a floating head the vaporsescapingfrom the five sides 0f 31. During' the process of evaporationinthe tube 1165.13 PLSS thlOUgh th Vapor' b ales the construction ofFigure '5, the incondensainto thespaces l0 and l1 and thefcepass blegases which come in' with the steam, 120 upwards and thIOllgh the upperSet 0f bailies, Collect/as above at the ends of the tubes away as 24,into the collecting chamber orspace fromth@ Steam chamber, In the Cas@Qf y above and :from it escape from the evapothe floating head', thelair passes throughl rator through the opening marked Vapor-the-perforations in a septum plate, 31, and Theivapor current 'awayfrom the tube nest may bejta en away fromthis space through at anypointis comparatively slow and con' the'vent pipe, 33, which opens'into thespace sequen 'y has butslight tendency to carry.. 32'an`dextends alongan evaporating tube to particles of 1i uor 'entrained in it, sothatthegst'eam chamber' and through and away into the saceA 32. Theincondensable gases 125i even if no baidest eused, and the ivapor fromit, to any exhausting apparatus, or if 3 forheating vent pipe, the space32' the boiling point nal shell, which the .shell 'surrounding wallsenclosingt partment and 'outer the pressure is greaterl than the,atmosphere7 then away against thepressure of the latter. These gasesladen with 'vapor may be used purposes. -Or instead of this may .beven-ted directlyinto evaporatorl shell througha little ventindica-tedby't. f

The construction ot` Figure {iis-suited to use on shipl'ioai'd 4wherethe evaporator is subjected tothe rolling motion `Vozt the ship,

l? or the purpose of preventing the Swashing surge plates, 35, aredeineath thelubes.

Figure. l and also Figure. v5 indicate a construction vof filmevaporator in which the nest of tubes is contained in a'longitudishellhas above the tube nest an enlargement' l2 intermediate to' the placedin the space unends ofthe `tubes, to forni a. chamber into.

which the vaporsof evaporation flow from the protruding sections of thelongitudinal shell and .from which enlargement the vapers escape-fromthe evaporator.

By 'the expression an evaporatonin which evaporation is. -obtained. bydelivering or showering tlieliqui'd -ered'upon it will tall downwardfrom element to element and keep them thoroughly. wetted and of theheating surfaces iinally fall from the nest of tubes to areceptacle'below from which receptacle evaporatiiig liquid isrccirculated over the heat- 'ing surfaces eontinuously.- The elements ofheating-nest are, by some .heating agent, maintained at a teiiipeiatu'ieabove ofthe circulated liquid at in the spaces sui"- surfaces In the ismentioned asthe agent, but other agents may be usedhotgases andelectricity are Vexamples. In the speeilications and drawings,V theheating nest is composed of. an aggregation of'parallel horizontal tubessupplied with steam at one end oit the nest of tubes .from a stea'i'nchamber common to all the the pressure existing rounding the heatingspecification steam tubes-other arrangements ofthe heating" filmevaporator a shell; a nes't of tubular heating elements so supportedwithin the shell and having such dimensions and location as te providespaces Within the e nest and dividing the spaces surrounding the nestinto a nest comcompartnients; lmeans lor supplying the tubular heatingagents sea Write-r1 being evaporated lengthwise ot the nest of tubes,transverse vertical v v film evaporator, 'asi employed in the followingclaims, is meantv an aggregation or nest of heating- Vwithin the shellas to .the nest; vapor baille showeringliquid over internally iifith -aheating agent; distribut-'j ing means above the. nest of tubular heatingelements within the enclosing vapor between nest compartment and' outercompai'tine'nts; aiid'vapoi escapes for the outer compartments. l

2. In a tilmgevapora'tor a shell; a nest of tubular heating elementsso'A supported With- .in the shell iii having 'such dimensionsandlocation asv t0 a lower portionthereof andprovide spaces surroundingtlienest within the shell; means for .Supplying the tubularv heatingelements-internally with a heating agent; a perforated-' septum .platelocatedv above theV nest of tubular vheating elements and serving todivide. theinterior of the shell essentially into ai ,lower chamber con?tainingthelieating elements andava or collecting .chamber above; meansfor de `v ering aliquid to be evaporated u ponthe said perforated septumplatean'd through'- its Aperforatioi'isV onto the top of the nest oilheating elements; verticalyapor'batlie Walls enclosing the collecting.chamber above the perforated septum plate, vapc'r', passages throughthese walls and cpmmunicating with the spaces `below the septum plate;and .a vapor escape for. theyoollecting chamber.

3'; In a lm' evaporatora shell; an enclosure within the shell formed byapproximately vertical so located Within the shell as to leave outerspaces hetween'the walls and the seetions'of the shell facing the Walls;.a nest of tubular heating elements ini a' lower' .part of saidenclosure; meansor supplying the interior of the tubular. Heatingelements with a heating agent; distributing meansf above the said nestof heating elements and ada ted to shower a liquid over the heatin eevapor .bathe enclosing -ivalls ments, and meansfor delivering theliquid to be evaporated tothe distributing means; vapor passages throughthe vapor baffle enclosing Walls between the .tubenest enclosure and thesaid outer spaces; a collecting chamber above the distributing means;va-v por Acommunications between the eollecting chamber and the saidouter spaces';-and a vapor outlet for the collecting chamber.

Ll. .In a li'ilm cvaporatora containing shell;

an enclosure Within the shell having its vsides formed by,vapproximately vertical vapor baille walls each extending nearly-t0 .theroof of the shell. and nearly to the Hoor of the saine, the baille4walls being so located 'i form outer compartments between' the shelland said Walls :and a nest of tubular heating elements supported in thesaid enclosure in the lowerpart thereof; distributing meanslocatc'dabo've the nest of heating elementsV for ldistributing and Y thesaid nest and exiso' -tendingtothe inner surfaces of the enclos- .ingWalls to -form a'tube nest chamber below and a vapor collecting hhamberabove said.

distributing means Within the enclosing Walls; means for delivering a'liquidto the distributing means; *vapor passages through the vaporbaille' enclosing vWalls between the.

tubenestchamber and the said outer compartments; vapor passages throughthe enclosing Walls between the collecting chamber and the said outercompartments; and a vapor outlet for the collecting chamber'.

5. In a film evaporator an mclosing shell;

a nest'of substantially horizontal and parallel spaced heating tubes; sosupported within the shell in a lower portion thereof as to providespaces within the shell on each side of the nest oftubes and an upperspace above the tubes, the tubesat one end opening vthroughatube plateinto an inclosed steam chamber separated from the' interior of the ISllell by the tube plate, the tubes at the other end away from the tubeplate being closedand facing an end space-inthe shell, 4the in tertubespaces communicating with the saidend space; a steam supply inlet to thesteam chamber; distributing means within theshell in the lower part ofthe space above the nest -of heating tubes and adapted to, shower aliquid over fthe nest of tubes, with means for deliveringa' liquid to beevaporated to the distributingmeans; the spaces at the sides of thenestvof tubes. communicating with the i upper space above theVdistributing means .Y ing With the upper space -above the distrib-14therein; and the said end space communicatuting means and a. vaporoutlet for the said upper space above the distributing means.

6. Ina film evaporator a vertical shell; a

neck projecting horizontally from and opening into the vertical shell;an' enclosed steam chamber at the end of the neck away from the shell,with a tube plate. dividing the inv 'terior-of the steamA chambertrom-the'interior ot -the neck a nest o'tsubstantially horizontal andparallel spaced hcatingtubes supported Within the neck, the tubes at oneend opening through the tube plate into the steam chamber and at theother end extending into the verticalshell; asteam supply inletV to thesteam chamber; distributing means Within the vvertical shell above thenestof tubes and' extending into the neck,

tor supplying the tubes with a heating agent; a'uupwardly extendingportion of the shell'above'the nest of tubes anclshorter than the tubes,said portions being adapted to serve as a'collecting chamber for vapors;

distributing means Within the'4 incloing lo'n-V gitudinal" shell abovethe heating u tubes adapted to shower a liquid over the nest of tubesthroughout the length of the nest of tubes Within the shell; vaporpassages connecting and adapted to convey. vapors of "evaporation Jfromthe portions of the shell beyond the limits oi the collecting chamber tothe chamber; a vapor outlet for the vapor l chamber.

SAMUEL Monats LILLIE.

